All four regions posted statistically significant unemployment rate increases from 2008. The West experienced the greatest jump (+3.8 percentage points), followed by the Midwest (+3.6 points), South (+3.4 points), and Northeast (+3.0 points). The West, at 10.1 percent, and Midwest, at 9.6 percent, registered jobless rates significantly higher than the U.S. rate in 2009. The Northeast and South, at 8.4 and 8.9 percent, respectively, both had rates significantly below the national figure. In 2009, the West recorded the highest annual jobless rate in its series. (All region, division, and state series begin in 1976.)
All nine geographic divisions also reported statistically significant over-the-year unemployment rate increases in 2009, with the largest occurring in the Pacific and East North Central (+4.1 and +4.0 percentage points, respectively). The divisions with the smallest rate increases were the West North Central (+2.4 percentage points) and West South Central (+2.6 points). Three divisions registered unemployment rates over 10.0 percent: the Pacific division posted the highest rate, 10.9 percent, followed by the East North Central, 10.6 percent, and the East South Central, 10.2 percent - all three rates were significantly above the U.S. rate. The divisions with the lowest jobless rates last year were the West North Central, 7.3 percent, and West South Central, 7.4 percent. In addition to these two, the Middle Atlantic, Mountain, and New England divisions had rates significantly below the national figure. Two divisions reported the highest jobless rates in their series in 2009: the Pacific, 10.9 percent, and South Atlantic, 9.5 percent.
State Unemployment
All 50 states and the District of Columbia posted statistically significant unemployment rate increases in 2009. Michigan and Nevada experienced the largest increases in their jobless rates (+5.3 and +5.1 percentage points, respectively). Seven additional states recorded rate jumps of at least 4.0 percentage points.
In 2009, 14 states and the District of Columbia reported unemployment rates of 10.0 percent or more. Michigan posted the highest unemployment rate for the fourth year in a row, 13.6 percent, followed by Nevada, 11.8 percent, and South Carolina, 11.7 percent. North Dakota registered the lowest jobless rate among the states, 4.3 percent, with Nebraska and South Dakota close behind at 4.6 and 4.8 percent, respectively. Thirty states had unemployment rates that were significantly lower than the U.S. rate of 9.3 percent, and 13 states and the District of Columbia recorded rates significantly above it. Nine states reported the highest jobless rates in their annual series: California (11.4 percent), Delaware (8.1 percent), Florida (10.5 percent), Georgia (9.6 percent), Kansas (6.7 percent), Nevada (11.8 percent), North Carolina (10.6 percent), Rhode Island (11.2 percent), and South Carolina (11.7 percent).
Regional Employment-Population Ratios
In 2009, all four regions registered statistically significant deterioration in their employment-population ratios - the proportion of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and older with a job. The West experienced the largest over-the-year decrease in its employment-population ratio (-3.3 percentage points), followed by the Midwest (-3.1 points), South (-2.7 points), and Northeast (-2.2 points). Despite the large decline in its employment-population ratio, the Midwest continued to report the highest ratio, 60.8 percent, while the South, at 58.3 percent, recorded the lowest. These two regions had employment-population ratios that were significantly different from the national figure of 59.3 percent.
All nine divisions registered statistically significant decreases in their employment-population ratios in 2009. The East North Central reported the greatest drop (-3.5 percentage points), followed by the Pacific and South Atlantic (-3.3 points each) and East South Central and Mountain (-3.2 points each). In 2009, the East South Central again recorded the lowest proportion of employed persons, 54.4 percent, with the South Atlantic and Pacific posting the next lowest, 58.4 and 58.5 percent, respectively. All were significantly below the national average. The divisions with the highest employment-population ratios were the West North Central, 65.2 percent, and New England, 62.0 percent. The Mountain division also recorded an employment-population ratio significantly above the U.S. figure.
State Employment-Population Ratios
In 2009, all 50 states and the District of Columbia registered statistically significant decreases in their proportions of employed persons. Four states and the District of Columbia reported drops of 4.0 percentage points or more: Alabama (-4.4 points), Indiana and Michigan (-4.3 points), North Carolina (-4.1 points), and the District of Columbia (-4.0 points). Sixteen other states recorded declines in their employment-population ratios of -3.0 to -3.9 percentage points, 20 states had decreases of -2.0 to -2.9 points, and the remaining 10 states had declines of -1.0 to -1.9 points.
West Virginia again reported the lowest employment-population ratio among the states (50.5 percent), which it has done for 34 consecutive years. Almost half (24) of the states had employment-population ratios in 2009 that were below 60.0 percent, while no state registered a ratio of 70.0 percent or higher last year. Three states in the West North Central division again posted the highest ratios: North Dakota (69.4 percent) and Nebraska and South Dakota (68.9 percent each). Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia recorded employment-population ratios that were significantly above the U.S. ratio of 59.3 percent, and 16 states had ratios that were appreciably below it. The remaining 12 states reported ratios that were not measurably different from that of the nation. Four states registered the lowest employment-population ratios in their series in 2009: Hawaii (59.9 percent), Nevada (60.4 percent), North Carolina (57.0 percent), and South Carolina (55.0 percent).
